Hypothetical wins first Group 1 in Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3

Hypothetically, any Thoroughbred can win at any distance if the competition is slow enough.

The 5-year-old horse Hypothetical appears to be a miler at heart, but he simply was better than the 13 horses he faced Saturday at Meydan in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 and won the 2,000-meter contest by one length.

You wouldn’t say Hypothetical now is proven over the 2,000 meters, which is about 1 1/4 miles, but Saturday’s success marked his first at the Group 1 level. Hypothetical took down the $270,000 winner’s share of a $450,000 purse for owner Hamdan bin Mohammed al Maktoum and trainer Salem bin Ghadayer.

Hypothetical, by Lope de Vega out of Peut Etre, by Whipper, began his career in England with trainer John Gosden, winning his career debut on an all-weather surface but appearing somewhat hapless over turf. He wound up in Dubai last winter and immediately showed an affinity for dirt, finishing second in the 2021 renewal of this race and fourth, beaten 6 1/2 by victorious Mystic Guide, in the Dubai World Cup.

Jockey Mickael Barzalona gave Hypothetical an excellent ride, helping his mount overcome post 13, a tough spot with a relatively short run to the first of two turns. Hypothetical broke alertly and Barzalona never rushed him, easing Hypothetical over to the two path before the turn as rail-drawn Everfast went for the lead.

Barzalona let Everfast lead around the turn and onto the backstretch but knew he had the faster horse and gently let Hypothetical take the lead, dropping to the inside and dictating terms down the rest of the backstretch and around the second turn. Barzalona asked the question with 450 meters to race and got a good response, Hypothetical kicking clear as inside stalker Remorse came off the rail to issue a challenge. Remorse crept closer past the 200-meter mark but could make no late headway as Hypothetical held firm.

The winner stopped the timer in 2:04.79, which fell into the standard range for this race. Hypothetical paid $7.10 to win in the United States.

Everfast held on for third, edging Kafoo, who pulled a wide trip and improved considerably from a poor showing in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2, won decisively by Hot Rod Charlie.

The Meydan dirt track played fair and produced average times throughout the Super Saturday card.

Desert Wisdom stalked the pace along the rail, never leaving the fence while posting a $67.90 upset in the Group 3, $250,000 Burj Nahaar, a prep for the Godolphin Mile, clocking a solid 1:37.17 for the 1,600 meters. Desert Wisdom, a 4-year-old by Dubawi out of Tulips, by Pivotal, was coming off a ninth-place finish in the Jebel Ali Mile but had run better than that over the Meydan dirt earlier this year.

The Argentinian colt Quality Boone won a slow renewal of the $170,000 Al Bastakiya Stakes, a local prep for the UAE Derby, though it’s hard to see any of its participants playing a major part in that March 26 race. Bendoog set a moderate pace but began laboring in upper stretch, yet no one caught him until the final half-furlong, Quality Boone coming from the rear of the field to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths over Withering. Winning time for the 1,900 meters (about 1 3/16 miles) was 2:00.79, between 2.7 and 1.2 seconds slower than the last three editions of this race. Quality Boone ($18.50) is by Daniel Boone out of Quindici, by Crafty Prospector.

Eastern World ($51.10) cut way back in distance and notched a pace-pressing win in the Group 3, $250,000 Mahaab al Shimaal, a nominal prep for the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen on the World Cup card. Eastern World was coming off an eighth-place finish going 1,900 meters in the Maktoum Challenge Round 2 but had no trouble keeping up in the 1,200-meter Mahab al Shimaal, winning by 1 3/4 lengths over another longshot, Manjeer. Until Friday, Eastern World never had started in a race shorter than seven furlongs, most of his races coming over one mile. Another colt by Dubawi, Eastern World, a 5-year-old gelding, is out of Eastern Joy, by Dubai Destination.

Man of Promise was the card’s most impressive turf winner, rocketing to a massive 4 3/4-lengths victory over the solid Group 1-level turf sprinter A Case of You in the Group 3, $250,000 Nad al Sheba Sprint. A Case of You is a very good horse (and to be fair merely was prepping for the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint on March 26) but he stood no chance with Man of Promise in the six-furlong, straight course Nad al Sheba. Always prominent while racing near the outside fence under William Buick, Man of Promise took the lead with a quarter-mile to run and scorched his final 400 meters, clocking a fast 1:08.14 for the 1,200 meters over good ground.

Man of Promise won nicely in his first Dubai start last season but subsequently ran poorly in two races. This year, he has put together two top performances, though one wonders if he can sustain this sort of form through the Al Quoz. Man of Promise ($5.40) is a 5-year-old American-bred gelding by Into Mischief out of Involved, by Speightstown.

Alfareeq ($16) landed his first Group 1 winning the $350,000 Jebel Hatta by 1 1/4 lengths over Finest Sound. Ursa Minor, a huge longshot, finished third as favored Lord Glitters had no chance while caught near the rear of a 14-horse field in a race that unfolded at a plodding pace. Barney Roy, who would have vied for favoritism with Lord Glitters, was scratched. Alfareeq got a sweet trip under Dane O’Neill, saving ground around the 1,800-meter race’s one turn with only two horses directly in front of them. O’Neill found running room without issue, and Alfareeq was game rallying inside rivals. The 5-year-old gelding, a Shadwell Stable homebred, is by Dark Angel out of Urjuwaan, by Cape Cross.

Heavily favored Hukum, another Shadwell homebred, won the Group 2, $250,000 Dubai City of Gold by a head over Without a Fight. Both horses were making their first start in Dubai. Hukum’s jockey, Jim Crowley, said he moved his mount earlier than planned because of a slow pace in this turf race over about 1 1/2 miles. Without a Fight got the jump on Hukum ($3.30) and fought back after the favorite passed him but could not quite get back on terms. Owen Burrows trains Hukum, who’s bound for the Group 1 Sheema Classic. The 5-year-old horse is by Sea the Stars out of Aghareed, by Kingmambo.

And finally, Storm Damage captured the $300,000 Ras al Khor Stakes over about seven furlongs on grass as odds-on favorite Al Suhail performed dismally, leading early but fading to finish 13th. Storm Damage ($7.40), a Godolphin homebred trained by Saeed bin Suroor and ridden by Frankie Dettori, won by 1 1/4 lengths over Mutafawwig. The pair also finished one-two last month in the 1,400-meter Business Bay Challenge, though Storm Damage was more than three lengths best there. Storm Damage, a 4-year-old gelding, is by Night of Thunder out of Sundrop, by Sunday Silence.